Valve-operating mechanism for water-closets.



W. U. GRIFFITHS.

VALVE OPERATING MECHANISM FOR WATER ULOSETS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 18, 1913.

1,104,887. Patented July 28, 191i gm .5 BY J ATTOIQNEY THE NORRIS PETERSCO.. PHOTOLITHO. WASHINGTN. D. C.

WILLIAM U. GRIFFITHS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE-OPERATING MECIIANISM FOR WATER-GLOSE'IS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed July 18, 1913. Serial No. 779,690.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM U. GRIF- rITI-Is,a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in thecounty of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful'Improvements in Valve-Operating Mechanism forWater-Closets, of which the following is a specification.

. My invention relates to improvements in valve operating mechanism forwater closets, and it has for its object to provide an improvedmechanism whereby a water closet hopper may; be automatically flushed.

My invention comprehends the construction and arrangement of parts asillustrated in the accompanying drawing and as .18 particularlydescribed and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood, however,that changes in the details of construction within the scope of theclaims may be made without departing from my invention;

In the drawings :-F igure 1 is a 'view showing partly in side elevationand partly in vertical longitudinal section, a construction of apparatusembodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the fiush tank in cross section with the valveand valve operating parts therein in front elevation; and Fig. 3 is aview showing a detail of construction.

In the drawings, 1 designates a water closet hopper (the top portiononly of which is shown), and 2 designates the seat therefor pivoted at3. The seat is provided with arms 4 extending rearwardly therefrom andhaving their rear ends connected by a crosspiece 5 which acts as aweight to tilt the seat 2 as shown in Fig. 1. The cross-piece 5 isprovided with an undercut slot 6 for a purpose to be hereinafterdescribed.

10 designates a flush tank which is substantially rectangular in crosssection, as is indicated, the width of the same being considerablygreater than its thickness from front to rear. My invention, however, isnot dependent upon the shapeof the tank, although it is well adapted foruse in a tank of the character shown. ater enters the flush tank throughpipe 10 The said tank is provided with a port or opening 11 in itsbottom through which a flush pipe 12, having connection at its lower endwith the hopper 1, communicates with a siphon 13. The flush pipe 12constitutes, in fact, a con- I tinuation of one leg of the siphon 13.The

opposite end of the siphon is open at all timesas indicated at 14c.

15 designates an opening into the longer leg of the siphon (regardingthe flush pipe 12 as a part of such leg) which opening is,

tends horizontally and is provided with a weight 23. Movement of thelever 21 to the right, having reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings, islimited bycontact of the lower edgeof the arm 22 with the shoulder 2 1upon the projection 20 between the ears 7 formed by the slot therein.The upper end portlon of the lever 21 is curved, as indicated at 25, toform a cam surface by means of whichthe lever 21 and the arm 22 andweight 23 carried thereby are operated.

Said lever 21 is also provided with an arm.

26 extending from one end thereof which arm is curved downwardly asshown in Fig.2.

27 designates a lever'pivoted intermediate its ends at 28 upon a lugpreferably formed upon the siphon 13. lever 27 is provided with alateral projection 29 the end of which is adapted to engage the curvedcam surface of the lever 21 when the said lever 27 is moved about itspivot so'as to lower the said projection 29. When the said lever ismoved about its pivot so as to lower the end carrying the projection 29the said projection first contacts with the curved side of the lever 21to cause movement of the same about its pivot at 30. When the projection29 reaches the position indicated by dotted lines at 31 in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, the weight 23 causes the lever 21 to turn about its pivot at30 to return to normal upright position. Pivotal movement of the lever21 thus effected does not affect the valve 16 upon the lever 17. Inreturning the lever 27 to its normal position which it occupies inFig. 2of the drawings, the projection 29 catches underneath the arm. 26andlifts the lever 21 together with the lever 17, causing the latter toturn about its pivot 18 and thus open the valve 16. In returning fromthe dotted line position indicated at 31 to normal position, theprojection 29 and the arm 26 have sliding movement with respect One endof the said to each other, the projection 29 finallypassing around theend of the said arm 26. The levers 21 and 17 then return to their normalposition indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings 5 to close the valve 16. Inthe meantime, however, suflicient water has passed through the valveopening 15 to start siphonic action.

For the purpose of effecting pivotal movement of the lever 27 so as todepress the projection 29, I have provided the rod 35, the upper endportion of which is bent in two places, substantially at right angles toeach other, so that its extreme end portion extends downwardly into thetank and is connected with the lever 27 at a point upon the oppositeside of its pivot 28 from the projection 29. The greater portion of therod 85 is located outside of the flush tanlrlO and its lower end isprovided with an enlargement or ball which is positioned within theundercut slot 6 as is illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

It will be seen that when the seat 2 is moved from the full line to thedotted line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the arms 4: andconnection 5 are moved upwardly causing an upward movement of the rod 35and by reason of the connection of the upper end thereof to the end ofthe lever 27 as indicated at 36 the said lever 27 is caused to moveabout its pivot 28 so as to carry the projection 29 downwardlyunderneath the arm 26. In moving to this position it causes pivotalmovement ofthe lever 21 as herein- 5 before described. When the seat 2returns from the dotted line position to the full line position shown inFig. 2, the rod is moved downwardly by its own weight and also by reasonof the connection of itslower end with the weight 5 sothat the lever 27is caused to move in a direction to carry the projection 21 upwardlyfrom the dotted line position shown at 31 to the full line positionshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In doing 5 so, it lifts the levers 17and 21 as described.

I cla1m: 1. The combination of a valve adapted to be moved to open andclose the same, a pivotal support for said valve, means hav- 5() ingconnection with said valve whereby the latter may be moved to open andclose the same which means is movable independently of said valve, thesaid means having a part adapted to be engaged to effect movement of thesaid valve and a movable member acting automatically to engage said partto effect movement thereof for the purpose stated.

2. The combination of a pivotal support having a valve carried thereby,a member pivotally connected to said support and having a part adaptedtobe engagedfor the purpose of effecting movement of said valve supportto open said valve, and oscillatable means which when moving in onedirection engages the said member and causes pivotal movementthereof andwhen moving in the opposite direction engages the said member and causesbodily movement thereof to lift said support and open said valve.

3. Mechanism of the character described, comprising, in combination, avalve, a

pivoted member having connection therewith, the said member having aweighted arm andalso having a cam surface and a part adapted to beengaged to effect opening of the said valve, an oscillatable memberadapted when moved in one direction to engage the said cam surface andcause pivotal movement of the said pivoted member to permit passage ofthe said oscillatable 30 member to a point underneath the said part andwhen moved in the opposite direction to engage said part and causemovement of said member to open said valve, and means for effectingoscillation of the said oscillatg5 able member whereby the same iscaused to enga e the said part and open the said valve.

4. liechanism of the character described, comprising, in combination,apivoted support having a valve connected thereto, a member pivotallyconnected with the said support and adapted to cause movement of thelatter, the said member having a laterally extending arm and also aweighted arm whereby it is held in normal position, 5 a pivoted leverhaving a part which is adapted to engage the said pivoted member whenmoved in one direction to cause pivotal movement independently of thepivoted support, whereby the said pivoted lever may be moved intoposition with a part thereof un derneath the saidarm, whereby when thesaid lever is moved in the opposite direction it will engage the saidarm to lift the said pivoted member and the said support 5 to open thesaid valve, and means acting automatically to cause movement of the saidpivoted lever.

5. Ina valve mechanism adapted for use in connection with water closetapparatus, the combination of a valve for closing a valve opening, apivoted actuating member having connection with the said valve, the saidactuating member being provided with an upwardly extending curved armand also with a downwardly and laterally extending arm, and also havinga weight connected thereto to hold the same in normal position,

a movable member adapted when moved in one direction to engage the saidupwardly 12o extending curved arm to effect pivotal movement of the saidactuating member whereby the said movable member may be passed intoposition with a part thereof underneath the downwardly extending arm andwithout affecting said valve and whereby when the said movable member ismoved in the opposite direction the said actuating member will be movedin a direction to open the said valve, and means for effecting movementof the said movable member to actuate the said actuating member to causeopening and closing of the said valve.

6. In a valve mechanism adapted for use in connection with water closetapparatus, the combination of a valve for closing, a

port, an actuator having pivotal connection with the said valve, a pivotfor said actuator a pivoted member for actuating the said actuator, apivot for said pivoted member, said last named pivot being arranged atpivotal movement of the said actuator upon the downward movement of saidpart and the said actuator having a downwardly and laterally extendingarm, the underneath edge of which is adapted to be engaged by I a partof the said pivoted memberas the I same is moved upwardly to lift thesaid valve to open the same and means for effect ing pivotal movement ofthe said pivotal member.

my invention, I have hereunto signed my name this 16th day of July, A.D. 1913; i

WILLIAM'U. GRIFFITHS. In the presence of S. HORACE MYERS, CARRIE E.KLEINFELDER.

Copies of this patent, may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as

